Suit of the Week: Escada

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For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.

Zowsa: gorgeous suit from Escada. Love the leather accents on the collar, cuffs, pockets, and skirt — and the black tweed almost looks like it’s lit from within. Gorgeous, gorgeous. This was $798, but is now marked to $425 at Yoox (limited sizes only, alas). Escada Women’s Suit

Comments

So, threadjack: I need office decorations ideas, and I am just at a loss. I need some inspiration. Does anyone have ideas as to where I could get some? I have read the prior posts on here, but they give more general advice whereas I am looking for pictures of offices or something.

What kind of art do y’all have on the walls? Colorful? Photography? Abstract?

I have a lot of abstract art thats bright and colorful – but I have a basement apartment, so I’m trying to brighten it up wherever possible. I wish I could afford lovely original and unique art, but I can’t, so sadly, most of my favorite pieces come from HomeGoods.

I have some of my photography, matted in framed on one wall. They are nature scenes, five in total, three in one row, with the middle one raised an inch and two in the second row. I have a framed painting from where my husband grew up on another wall. I have a $30 framed “painting” from Michaels on another wall. I have my diplomas and bar admissions on the last wall.

I also have mugs, bowls and a plate from various loved ones or that I painted with friends on a shelf. They work for decorative purposes as well as their actual function.

I have a cute animals calender on my desk and a pen/pencil holder w/ pictures of me and my husband in it. I also have a couple framed pictures of my pets in various places.

Lastly, I have a shelf w/ an antique framed photograph from my undergrad, an oil painting from my honeymoon, and another three picture spinner thing w/ nature pictures.

I have a huge office though.

I don’t currently have a website set up to purchase my photography but I may eventually do that. If you are at a loss for cool photography and want to see some of mine, let me know and I will set something up.

I have three abstract art pieces (they’re a companion set) that I got from Marshalls. I got them becuase they were a nice size (didn’t look flimsy on my giant walls) and I found them relaxing.

If you’re looking for art to hang in your office I recommend checking out World Market. Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Ross are also good, but much more hit and miss. I think I got luck to find matching pieces.

This is true, although you could get something more unique and support local artists by checking around your neighborhood at coffee shops and small stores. This usually works better in downtown areas than in suburban ones.

Sometimes these places have overpriced or just ugly art, I realize, but often I can find affordable ($100 or less) items that I like to look at. Probably nothing I’ve bought will ever end up in a museum, but I’m no art critic, and I figure as long as I like it, it’s fine.

I have a beige government office but it’s big and has a great view. On one wall I have wall-to-wall windows except for a weird column in the middle. On the column I have a framed picture of the lighthouse in our city and a metal sign my last secretary gave me. On the next wall I have a bookcase and an antique credenza. Above the bookcase I have a framed picture of the lighthouse in the town I visit on Cape Cod and above the credenza I have a framed picture of an abstract print of my law school. The law school print is a numbered version of the picture my class gave the school as a class gift. On the wall with the door I have no art, just a clock, but I need to put something there since it’s the one I face all day. The last wall has my diplomas and bar certificates in silver frames with really colorful matting.

You’re welcome! I’m not by any means a great decorator, but my aunt told me it was worth it to take time to make sure my office feels comfortable to me since I’ll spend so much time there and I think she was definitely right.

I got some lovely artwork (pre famed, no less) from a local Aaron Brothers frame shop! Great when I was re-starting my office after moving away and “coming back where everybody knows your name.” They are nice big pieces, so they filled the room well.

If you are into fabrics, I have three pieces that are double-glass framed embroidered pillows from Chinatown. A bit pricey to frame up, but lovely as well. And unique. The pillows/pillowcases are very inexpensive, so the money is in the framing. I guess it could be done with a regular frame/mat combo for less money.

I have also put fabric or wallpaper underneath clear desk blotters for the tops of file cabinets etc., even if I’m the only one who sees them.

I have my diplomas, three photos that I’ve taken on travels that I rotate every few months, some bamboo, and a bulletin board with postcards from travels. I also have some wall decals in an abstract/modern pattern, which I am sure are a no no per NGDGTCO. On the other hand, people are so fascinated by them that it brings a lot of people into my office to chat who wouldn’t normally have an interest.

I have several photographs that my husband and I have taken of flowers and ferns that are printed in black and white that get lots of compliments. It is personal in the sense that they remind me of special vacation times but are also office appropriate. The B+W makes the forms stand out (rather than the colors that are usual) and is more arty/less girly.

On my desk:
2 frames that coordinate (but don’t match) w/ pics of my dog and a far away shot of DH, a unique pencil holder, a colorful coaster that coordinates (but doesn’t match) with my frames and a mini statue that’s hysterical that someone I worked with gave me.

On my side table next to my sofa:
Framed picture that I took with my favorite group of clients (they gave it to me framed so I know they don’t mind if I displayed it), small plant, unique post-it-note dispenser and a nice pen for guests to use if needed.

On my walls:
Metropolitan theme, all b&w. A few highlight architectual details and others are city scapes. I have a few city-themed books on my coffee table and a few random “momentos” I got on various trips to my favorite cities that serve almost like paper weights.

On my sofa:
A very non-girly, boring, throw pillow that for some reason, people love to put their arm on when they sit. It ads a bit of “life” into the office. I’d love to add a small lap blanket because people freeze in my office but I’m affraid of it looking too homey.

I have an indor plant/tree in the corner.

I think it’s a good balance between “yes, someone works here and is friendly” and “yes, the person that works here is a professional and works hard”.

I have an enlarged photo of the Amsterdam flower market my husband took and framed for me (he knows I love flowers, and the various varieties and colors sheers me up). I also framed some photos we’ve taken on various vacations along with my diploma.

As a cubicle dweller I’m jealous of those who have actual walls let alone an office roomy enough for several pieces of furniture!

For decoration in my cube, I have several different small parts that have interesting shapes and represent different projects I’ve worked on and a framed picture of me, my husband and daughter. I also have at home and finally need to bring in a more recent framed photo of my daughter and digital photo frame.

nothing. i’ve been meaning to decorate my office for over four years now. while my office isn’t exactly small, it’s not square, and i have three five-drawer metal filing cabinets and a big shelf taking up a significant amount of real estate. i’ve love to bring in a plant (like a ficus tree or something), but there’s really nowhere to put it. i’m stalking this thread for ideas now – it’s been far too long with blank walls.

Hubblesite (dot) org has public domain pics from the Hubble telescope – send a couple of those to Shutterfly to print to canvas (under home decor)and you have some abstract looking, but interesting (and not girly) art.

Can’t take credit for it – got it off of someone else’s blog. :) I have totally ordered a 3 part series of the Carina Nebula. The really high (and full) resolution files are on the website for download. Have fun!

I have a set of three photos of the city where I practice, taken by a friend. They are blown up to 11 X14 and hung in a grouping. Across from my desk, on the wall I stare at, I have an 18 X 22 print of the city.

Within arm’s reach, above my desk, I’ve got a bulletin board. I keep a calendar on there, lots of notes to self, and a rotating set of photos of me with loved ones.

I have my diploma and bar certificate on one wall. A print of one of my favorite paintings and a bookshelf on another wall. A corkboard, utility calendar, silk print and two paintings done by my kids on another wall, and the last wall has a pretty calendar and a framed art piece done by my daughter that everyone thinks I bought somewhere. My bookshelf has a lady of justice statue and a picture of my kids together. My desk has an individual picture of each kid, and tiffany lamp.

On my desk: nice lamps; assorted interesting containers for office supplies including a small ceramic urn and a mug I used frequently during a fondly-remembered internship; a framed photo of me and my best friends on a day I laugh to remember.

Across from my desk: a brass floor lamp (I reaaaally hate flourescent light and never turn them on); two 16×20 non-girly framed photos by my photographer boyfriend. One is a skyline shot of our city, the other is an overhead view of a spiral staircase.

I also have a magnetic whiteboard, so have put up some smaller, more personal/silly pictures. I actually made several of them into magnets by gluing them to magnetic sheeting. You can’t see them easily from my guest chairs, so I don’t mind that they are more fun/slightly less professional.

I’ve kept the office decor very simple…desk has only two small family pictures in similar frames, one green plant, and a tiny New Mexican woven mat that I use as a coaster. Wall decor is a couple of photos, blown up and framed, of interesting windows and two framed pieces of kids’ art. All very colorful. One wall has diplomas, etc., nicely framed. A few months ago I got very daring and decided to bring in and hang a large mixed media piece (painted fabric, embroidery, stamped images) that I made last summer. It brings me great pleasure to look up and see it, and i’m pleased that it has been a conversation piece in a positive way.

I think it might be very revealing if you were wearing this and bent forward. I had a dress like that once, and received notification of the peep show by being called to the bench and informed by the judge. Mortification. Especially because he was a Dirty Old Man. I love this suit and would gladly sew up a few inches of the back vent.

I like that even though the suit is “different,” its still a very classic shape/cut. That said, I don’t think you could get this slit altered without a lot of hassle since it’s all done up in the leather trim. I also think the colar is a bit frump – I would have *loved* this with a different colar and a lower slit.

But it does make me wonder if I can put a belt around a suit without looking totally ridiculous…..

I didn’t like the print until I zoomed in, but I’m definitely not a fan of the trim. Also….waaay out of my price range. I also prefer my non-traditional suits to have 3/4 sleeves, I find them way more comfortable. And plus I generally wear my non traditional suits to dinner and other social events that include food, so it’s easier to not make a mess eating in a 3/4 sleeve jacket.

Love it! Truly. But you’d have to be quite thin to pull off that much texture. It would add 20 lbs to the rest of us.

To those of you who recommended the Sally Hansen Salon Manicure nail polish last week, thanks! I just popped into Walgreens and bought a beautiful dark red color to wear on my (short) nails for my birthday lunch today. I now feel very fancy and festive, and this nail polish was super easy to apply and not mess up.

I’d add that one would have to be thin AND have a very narrow waist. As someone who’s thin, but sort of noodle-shaped (with not much of a defined waist), I think I’d look like a barrel in this. A very nicely dressed barrel, but a barrel all the same, and not filled with laughs, either…

If the red is called “RedZin” you are in for a real treat. It has become my go-to shade. I think I refreshed it every two weeks from late August to Christmas time, when I switched to something more in the candy-apple family. The Sally product is the first real challenger to OPI that I’ve found at the drugstore.

I swear by the “rubberized” base coat made by Orley. I do a quick swipe with acetone, let dry, base coat, dry for 5-7, 1 coat RedZin, dry for 5, 2 coat RedZin, dry for 5, top coat of Seche Vite, finish episode of The Good Wife, then I’m set!

In response to the poster who wondered about short-term disability policies –
I received my quote from esupplemental insurance:

Short-Term Disability only covers serious medical complications from pregnancy/delivery, not a normal pregnancy and delivery.
They quoted me at

$50/mo with a 14 day elimination period and benefits for 6 months; or

$26/mo with a 30 day elimination period and benefits for 6 months.

My benefit would be $2000/month (the bare minimum we need to pay our essential bills each month) as a check to me.

Supplemental Insurance Plans with Pregnancy Benefits provide money based on the number of days you stay in the hospital for delivery. (this was such a rip-off that I’m not going to discuss it).

There were two major takeaways:
(1) there is no short-term disability insurance available under an individual policy which would cover the period of disability associated with a normal labor and delivery, whether vaginal or c-section;

(2)no hospitalization related to pregnancy is covered under the policy for the first 10 months….given that most hospitalization occurs in the second/third trimesters, if i were to purchase this policy today, I shouldn’t start trying to get pregnant until next September at the earliest.

I think (2) is pretty important – I might have gone for something like this if I had thought about when we’d start trying more than a year prior. Unfortunately, by the time most women begin to start thinking about planning pregnancy, they’re looking at trying within the next 6 months, and I think it likely excludes a lot of people who aren’t in a position to wait another year to begin trying.

I’d like to go back in time and advise my newlywed self to think about this issue…I don’t know that I would have done it, but I wished I’d known about it earlier. Hope this helps!

Thanks for checking all of that out and reporting back on it! I am still waiting on a couple people to call me back. One of my brokers seems to think that there is something that is available, but as I said yesterday, I am quite skeptical. That being said, we are definitely able to put off TTC for maybe a year or so, though I’d rather not. If that is what we have to do in order to save up the extra money it will take to make us comfortable and not more stressed than is normal, then I guess that’s what we have to do. I am looking forward to hearing what H’s paternity leave policy at work is. Maybe that will be a life saver for us.

despite being day 11 of the new year, somehow I am back to frump town. Getting ready to achieve the level of polish I *should* have for work seems nearly impossible to hit. Any suggestions other than just suck it up and spend less time sleeping?

What level of polish are you looking for? Most days all I can do is semi neat updo, powder foundation, mascara, lipstick/gloss and glasses. I really only blow out my hair and put in contacts if I have something I want to look decent for at work or after work. Sometimes i’ll add blush, eyeshadow and/or eyeliner.

Or is more related to clothes? going through your wardrobe, donating all the crap and having good basics with some go to combinations and accessories makes it easy to look put together. Are they’re holes in your wardrobes? e.g. need some new camisoles for under cardigans or basic dress shoes?

Mostly related to hair/makeup/etc. For example, today all I managed was a fuzzy ponytail and glasses with a bit of concealer. Not really professional. I have thick and curly hair so it takes forever to dry in the morning and looks awful if I sleep on it. Any suggestions on streamlining are appreciated! I like your idea about going through my wardrobe. I could donate a ton of stuff that just doesn’t work.

Also, I wonder how often others get their nails done? A coworker semi-jokingly mentioned it was time for a manicure. I guess I need an overhaul!

I have a totally different hair type, so I prob can’t offer much help. My hair looks awful after I sleep on it too, so I have to wet it or wash it in the morning even when I just put it up. You can try silk pillowcases/headscarfs. My hair is thin so I can just do a quick wash in the sink the morning. Maybe you can spritz it with water and then comb it the way you want to if it got all bed-heady?

Re hair: look up the pineapple method (it comes up right away in google). I’ve never tried it, but others recommend it. Also, one thing that is on my to-do list is to try a satin pillowcase (supposedly cuts back on the frizz).

Also, I’m not sure what your morning routine usually is, makeup-wise, but I recommend picking certain things that you feel make you seem more polished and start there. I don’t think you need a lengthy routine in the morning to be polished. For me, I *must* put on mascara, put on some lipstick, and fill in my eyebrows to feel polished (under 5 minutes). I sometimes also put on some light foundation, eyeshadow, and blush (add 5 minutes).

For me, eyeliner and mascara tend to define the tipping point when I start to feel put together. As far as nails, I do my own (Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure) and they tend to last about a week. I also keep a nail file and buffer block in my desk drawer and work on my nails while stewing over documents sometimes during the weeks that I don’t wear polish.

I get my nails buffed and have to do it every 2 weeks to keep my cuticles in check. I can sometimes miss a week, only, this leads me to start thinking I can do it myself, and then I start trying to stretch my eyebrow waxes, too, so it’s best for me to just keep to my routine. Nails, every two weeks; eyebrows, monthly; color, every six weeks; facials, every eight weeks.

My hair is curly, too, and I’ve never managed to wear it curly and still feel professional–I think because I absentmindedly start touching it. Cashmere hats and silk scarves help keep it shiny, and less likely to frizz, which helps a lot with streamlining my morning.

I have found that putting my hair in a very high pony tail before bed allows me to keep a blow-out for more than one day (this obviously only works on days when I don’t workout). Otherwise, i just suck it up and blow-dry daily (20-25 mins, but worth it)

Learn some easy updos. A Cup of Jo (which was mentioned in a post recently) has some good ones, that don’t take too long and are great ways to look more put-together without doing the whole morning blowout. I do buns a lot (not messy ones, ones with hairspray and pins), and occasionally the three-low-buns things from Cup of Jo.

As far as nails go, I get mine done professionally like, once a year. Otherwise I do them myself or go polish-less.

I also have extremely thick, curly hair, and what I’ll sometimes do is shower at night and then braid it while it’s still wet before I go to sleep. When I wake up in the morning it’s still damp so I can style it as needed and then just blow it dry for 5-10 minutes (as opposed to the full hour it would take it blow it completely dry after showering). I know it sounds kind of weird, but it works (at least for my hair).

Mascara is KEY. I made a similar resolution for the new year and this is what has worked for me clothes wise: I took all of my summer clothes and stuck them in a separate closet and in under-the-bed bins. This has been a huge help in streamlining my morning options bc I only see viable options. I also take post-its and leave my morning-self notes noting particular plans, like “Court!” or “Client dinner after work!” Finally, I downloaded the Cloth app for the iphone and have been taking pictures of every outfit I’ve worn. Its only been two weeks, but I’m already seeing patterns in what I wear and what makes me look frumpy. Highly recommend it.

Makeup wise, I took the basic products I use everyday and put them in a basket separate from the rest. Its amazing how much precious a.m. time I save not digging for specific products when getting ready. And, having a basic look is better than no look at all!

Hey ladies, would you mind checking out these shoes and letting me know whether they are way too ugly or not? (To wear with pants) They are men’s shoes so wider than women’s, but I’m not sure if they are too ugly or not. But they FIT (!!).
(link to follow)

Not a fan of the “tire tread-inspired detailing” but if comfort is the main thing for you right now, just go for it.

Somehow I got on the mailing list for a catalog (forget the name, have it at home) with unique-sized and comfort-type shoes – there were some surprisingly cute options. If you need a wider width, maybe you could look for something like this rather than having to go to a men’s shoe?

A quick google search reminded that it footsmart dot com is the company. They have widths up to extra wide wide so hope you can find a comfortable and attractive option! Pregnancy is rough enough without having your feet hurt, too.

Diana, Zappos, Endless and onlineshoes.com have a good selection of shoes in different widths. Also check out barkingshoes.com for some ideas for comfortable shoes! There was just a post there on extra wide women’s shoes, if that’s what you need. Hope this helps!

Also, forgot to mention that Aravon shoes (professional-looking women’s shoes made by new balance) are supposed to be great for bunions. I have narrow feet so they don’t work for me, but I have tried them and they do seem very comfy – and there are some cute styles that might work for you.

I just ordered a pair of danskos and timberland from zappos. Sigh. I think I must have tried 25 pairs of shoes at this point – trying to replace a pair that are 4+ yrs old and showing their age. (I tried to get the same pair, but they changed the style and it came up too high on the ankle bone.)

they should be ok if it’s genuine leather trim. Synthetic leather, on the other hand… i bought a coat that was on sale with fake leather trim, and my dry cleaner warned me it might get damaged in cleaning. I had them clean it anyway, cause i need it to be dry cleaned at some point, and sure enough, the top leathery sheen pulled off in a couple spots. It’s not super noticeable, but definitely something I will remember from now on, no wool clothing items with synthetic leather trim for me….

Any ladies familiar with Orlando (Florida, not the Marmalade Cat)? My boyfriend is travelling there in February for work. When he travels for work alone, he says he can never think of anything to do so he just stays at the hotel in his off time. I’d love to give him a list of places he could go. Does anyone have any ideas for things for a sporty guy in his 30’s to do by himself there? Places to eat would be great, too, although I’m not sure which hotel he’ll be staying at.

A bit of a drive, and would depend on him actually having an entire day free, but the Kennedy Space Center is *amazing*. When I went, we only had a couple of hours before it closed, and could have spent the whole day there. *So* worth it.

Mind you, I also really liked Disneyworld, so you could say I have somewhat eclectic tastes….

Plenty to do in Orlando! Museums, shopping (maybe not a guy thing, but Mall at Millenia is beautiful, International Drive is also very popular). Also along I Drive are lots of attractions that are not theme parks, like helicopter rides, go-cart tracks, etc. The park at Lake Eola is great. I have only been there in the daytime, but you can walk or jog around the lake, and it’s very popular so it’s full of people and activity.

Per your note in the other thread about copyright, I called the group Weight Watchin’ Corporettes and the description says “A group for overachieving chicks who are fans of the blog Corporette.com. (This group has no official affiliation with Corporette.)”. Let me know if you have any objections.

Well, there’s a different price for the online-only program and the program that allows you to go to meetings (which you can get with our without online access). The online groups are just like private forums, basically. You have to be a WW member either in the online-only program or in the meetings program with online access.

Does anyone know approximately how much entry level attorneys at small law firms make? I’m working as a law clerk at a small law firm while I study for the February bar after graduating in December, and my boss told me they want to talk to me about me joining the firm. I expect they’ll ask about salary expectations. I have no idea what to expect. I’m in a big, east coast city. Any advice would be much appreciated. Also, if there is anywhere we’ve talked about this on Corporette before, please point me in the right direction!

Someone asked about this in a post recently (maybe last week?) and NACE Salary Calculator was mentioned as a useful tool. I found it easily on Google. It asks you your geographic location, level of education achieved, GPA, etc.

I got the impression from the responses that it worked best for small firms. I tried it with the larger firm that I’ll be joining and the amount was way off. However, there are many more attorneys working in small firms than larger ones, so the numbers should be skewed towards smaller ones.

there are a lot of factors, but based on my NYC experience, i’d say somewhere between $55k $80k. $55k for smaller ID firms, PI firms, going up to maybe $65k for medmal firms and $80k for general practice firms or firms with some sort of niche.

The exception would be very specialized boutiques, such as IP or tax, where you’d need the same credentials as you would if you worked in Biglaw. There maybe you make $125k.

I’m a first-year associate at a small firm in a medium-sized city in the Midwest. My base salary is $50,000/year, plus a quarterly bonus that depends on how many hours I work. Since I haven’t worked a full year I don’t know for sure how much this will be, but shortly after I started working the partner I work for estimated that my first year salary would probably come out to between $70,000 and $72,000. Hope this helps!

He lives in Milton, does a bit of shopping at the Braintree Mall. He’s about to head off on a solo tour before NKOTBSB pick up for the European leg of their tour this Spring. Not a stalker, just a friend of the band.

Sorry if this is too late. Ginny Laracy. You can google her name and therapist and find her info. She specializes in body image/eating disorders, but also does work with people suffering from anxiety/depression. If she can’t help or isn’t convenient (I think she only sees patients in the city a few days a week) she has a lot of connections and could recommend someone. She’s very approachable and easygoing.

I like the suit and the price is now $225. Unfortunately, it is only available in 12 and 14 right now. I doubt I could get it altered to a 6 for a reasonable price. Oh well.

Office Decor:

Furniture:
My office has a desk, 2 low bookshelves.

Wall Art:
On one wall is an artists photograph of children playing and drawing on blacktop with chalk, professionally framed and matted in black. On the wall to the left of the desk, I have a large blue flower print ala Georgia O’keeffe only not quite that large, also professional framed and matted in black. Then a smaller art print of red flowers with block coloring, not professionally framed but still matted in black and under acrylic instead of glass.

desk art:

I have an artist rendition of a dreidle (with a love theme) sitting on my desk, my computer (a mac, but not really art). Then a calender passed out by a wildlife hospital with pictures of their patients. And a picture of my two sons.

Bookshelfs:
The bookshelves hold my modest library and printer. Other wise there is nothing on top of them. The O’keeffe -esque flower is above on of the bookshelves.

Its a very simple small office. I got all of the wall art at a local thrift shop over the course of a few months. You’d never guess. Nothing was more than 10. It looks pretty good and everything goes together really well.

I looked at this suit but was not interested. They usueally only have odd size’s left when I look for sale’s on line. I can use a 6 if I diet and do not look to fat in it, but there is NEVER a 6 in Stock. FOOEY!